MOORE’S RURAL NEW-YORKER: AN AGRICULTURAL AND FAMILY NEWSPAPER 
METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS, MADE AT ROCHESTER, STATE OF NEW YORK. 
University of Rochester — Annual Abstract—Wm. C. Pratt, Observer. 
Mr. Moore :—In yotir paper of the 17th inst., I observe a communication from the pen of Lieut. M. F. Ma.ttry, upon Meteorology, in which he 
calls upon farmers for their co-operation in the work of collecting Meterologicat facts. I herewith furnish you for publication, an abstract of observations 
taken by me during the past year, which will serve to give your readers some idea of the work which observers are expected to perform. Lieut. M. lately 
stated in a lecture in this city, that one result of the observations taken upon the sea, has been a saving annually to Great Britain alone of at least $10,- 
000,000, (aud perhaps au equal amounlto this country,) in the expense of conducting commerce. He also stated that he believed an extended system of 
observations upon land would resnlt in equal benefits to Agriculture. If mieh arc to be the results, the work must certainly be worthy of the co-operation 
of all who are interested in the progress of Agricultural Science.—W m. C. Pratt, Rochester, N. Y, January, 1857. 
For Moore's Rural New-Yorker. 
THE SOLTL’S MISSION. 
For Moore’s Rural New-Yorker. 
FORMATION OF CHARACTER. 
BT REV- OLIVER CRANK. 
Thou bora to destiny. 
Entrusted with control, 
Oh 1 whence and why thine embassy, 
Thou living Soul i 
Thine emanating source 
Cannot lie Nature’s womb ; 
Since when returns th(B lileless corse 
Low in the tomb, 
Thou shalt not there be laid 
In death’s dominion bound. 
And all that is of thee be made 
A mouldering mound. 
But wherefore hast thou come 
Known thus of heavenly birth ? 
Why on thy mission was thy home 
Made here on eartU ? 
Thine impress and thy name 
Speak thine a high behest; 
Go, then, thine embasBage proclaim. 
Nor be at rest. 
Earth would allure thine ear. 
And call life's joys thine all; 
Would charm in. pleasing dalliance here 
Till death enthrall 
Up from thy lethargy. 
And make thy mission known ; 
Thou wast not sent on earth to be 
Naught but thine own. 
Thou hast another sphere. 
Another work, my soul. 
Than thus to linger struggling her* 
For pleasure’s goal. 
Oh ) is there not one grief 
Borne by another heart. 
For which thou may'st yet bring relief 
Ere thou depart? 
Is there one soul unblest, 
One sinner unforgiven, 
Whom thou may'st guide to perfect rest 
With God in heaven ? 
Up, oh, my soul, see all 
Bids thee tby work assume. 
Ere on thy loitering footsteps fall 
Death’s sullen gloom. 
Then, when tbv task is done, 
May'st from this world of woe. 
With none but deathless Laurels won 
Triumphant go. 
Latitude 43°, 8 
17”. Longitude 77°, 51'. Height of Station above the Sea, five hundred and sixteen feet 
Sept. Oct. 
March. 
August 
April. 
Annual Results. 
1856. 
.13.77, Annual Mean, 
Thermometer.M onthly Mean 
05, highest degree during the year. 
Highest Degree 
Lowest Degree. 
j —6, lowest “ " “ 
J j 65.", greatest monthly range, 
j ( lltl, “ annual “ 
j 17th July, warmest day in the year. 
) 9th Jan., coldest “ “ 
> 
? , 29.121, annual mean—29.549, highest 
? / monthly mean—29.301, lowest do. 
(30.US4, highest observation barometer. 
Warmest day 
Coldest day 
Barometer _Monthly Mean 
Highest Observation^ 
O (l!-, WO, lowest “ " 
It : J 1.601, annual range. 1.604, greatest 
_) ( monthly range. 0.4-17. lowest do. 
1 ( 2 >->j days north wind during the year. 
m IU!4 ” north-east 
* ( 13 ” east “ “ 
23.4)f " south-east • “ 
g,.5 31% ■' south 
' 'dltttiAJ " south-west " “ 
1 1)101 “ west " “ 
0 A > •* north-west “ “ 
;l >306 Total. 
' _-West wind prevailing during the year. 
i?' U31-S fair days. 
2_ )231.4j cloudy days. 
:36tS Total. 
) 90 days on which rain felL 
) 77 ” “ snow felL 
' 11 “ '• rain and snow felL 
itll i l 24.356 inches of water for the year— 
Lowest Observation 
North. 
North-East. 
East... 
South-East. 
South. 
South-West. 
West. 
North-West. 
Total of each Month 
Prevailing Winds.. 
.Fair days... 
Clondy days. 
Total of each Month 
Wmne 
Weather 
Snow.. 
Rain and Snow 
Amount of water each Month 1 
( melted mow included. 
-We have liad 9.557 inches less of water the last year than in 1855. Rain has fallen on 22 less days; snow has fallen on 20 more days; and rain 
i less days than in 1855. The extremes of the thermometer, viz.: 96° above 6° below zero, as recorded in this abstract, are not the actual 
only at the times of observation :—observations having been taken at 7 A. M., 2 P. M„ and 9 P. ML, of each day in the year. The average ot 
1 jo ) ess x han in 1855. The prevailing wind has been the same as in that year.—w. c. p. 
ORIGIN AND HISTORY OF PEWS, 
The annexed interesting history of pews was com¬ 
piled by the editor of the Eclectic Museum. “ In 
Anglo Saxon and some northern churches of early 
date, a stone bench was made to project within the 
the wall running round the whole interior, except 
the eastern end. In 1016, they are represented as 
sitting on the ground, or standing. About this 
time the people introduced low, rude, three-legged 
stools promiscuously over the whole church.— 
Wooden seats were introduced soon after the Nor¬ 
man conquest. In 1807, a decree was issued in re¬ 
gard to the wrangling for seats, so common that 
none could call any scat in church his own. except 
noblemen and patrons, each entering and holding 
the one he first seized. As we approach the Re¬ 
formation, from 1530 to 16-10, scats were more ap¬ 
propriate—the entrance being guarded by cross¬ 
bars, and the initial engraved on them. Immedia¬ 
tely after the Reformation the pew system prevail¬ 
ed; as we learn from a complaint the poor Com¬ 
mons addressed to Henry VII. in 1546, in reference 
to a decree that a Bible should be in every church, 
at liberty for all to read, because they feared it. 
might be taken into the ' quire,’ or some ‘ pue.’ In 
1608 galleries were introduced. As early as 1611 
pews were arranged to afford comfort, by being 
balzed or cushioned; while the sides around were 
so high as to hide those within—(a device of the 
Puritans to avoid being seen by the officers, who 
reported those who did not stand when the name 
of Jesus was mentioned.) With the reign of 
Charles the First the reasons for heightening the 
sides disappeared, and from the civil war they de¬ 
clined gradually to their present height.” 
For Moore's Rural New-Yorker. 
THE CHURCH BELLS. 
The church bells are ringing, and as the sound 
comes to my ears, a host of old memories sweep 
over my heart. What magic there is in a church 
bell. How it thrills the soul, awakening a sadness 
amounting, sometimes, almost to woe. Faintly, 
through the echoes, come thoughts of happy days 
far buck in the past, whose like we shall never 
know again — thoughts of once dear friends, now- 
parted from us by tbe cold baud of Death, or by 
the scarcely less chilling touch of Indifference or 
Forgetfulness. It is then that, roused by its sad- 
ly-pleasant sound, the indefinable longing of our 
hearts,—that longing unutterable, unspeakable— 
that- ever-hauntiug yearning for the realization of 
our ideal of Love, Truth and Happiness,—which is 
lelt by all, aud which tinges the thoughts of the 
happiest with a dreamy, scarce-recognized shade 
of sadness—it is then that it rises in its might, 
crushing alt other feelings, doodiug the whole soul 
with woe, and creating a distaste for everything 
pertaining to earth. It is only those who draw 
their happiness from a higher, purer source, that 
can return cheerfully to the cares and pursuits of 
the world, not indulging in vain regrets and 
gloomy anticipations, but looking forward hope¬ 
fully to the end and the reward. 
“ Thoughts of the past we would, but cannot banish ; 
As if to show the impotence of will, 
We loathe the pang, ana yet mast suffer still. 
For who is there can say, he will forget?” 
Rochester, N. Y., Jan., 1857. Fannt. 
CONNECTICUT. 
The State of Connecticut, the Seal of which we 
present this week, is the southernmost of the New 
England States. At its first settlement, it consist¬ 
ed of two colonies, denominated Connecticut,— 
the Hartford section having the seat of govern¬ 
ment at Hartford, and the New Haven at New 
Haven. The colony was settled in 1633 at Wind¬ 
sor, by emigrants from Massachusetts, who pene¬ 
trated through the wilderness. Hartford was set¬ 
tled by the Euglish in 1635; the Dutch had pre¬ 
viously built a fort there, but they did not retain 
it The colony at New Haven was settled by the 
English in 103K In 1665, by a Charter granted by 
Charles IT., these colonies were united. During 
the tyranny of Andros an attempt was made to se¬ 
cure the surrender of this instrument, and while 
the discussion consequent thereon was proceeding, 
the candles being extinguished, the Charter was 
taken away aud hidden in the hollow of an oak, 
which has since become famous in history as the 
Charter Ouk. (This tree, our readers will remem¬ 
ber, was blown down during the past year.) The 
Charter formed the basis of the government until 
1818, when the present Constitution was adopted. 
In January, 1788, the Constitution of the United 
States was ratified, in a Convention, by a majority 
of 88. Connecticut took an active part in tbe 
Revolutionary War, and a number of her towns 
were burned by tbe British army, among them was 
New London, which was destroyed by the traitor 
Arnold. 
Though laboring, in many respects, under ad¬ 
verse circumstances, the children of the “Nutmeg 
State” have much cause for pride of nativity.— 
Connecticut has a larger productive school fund 
than any other State in proportion to population. 
In I860 the cash value of her farms, farm imple¬ 
ments, live stock and slaughtered animals, amount¬ 
ed to $84,288,719. In manufactures, at the same 
period, there was a capital invested equaling $23,- 
890,3-18. Her imports were $396,675, exports$506, 
' 174. Tunnage. in 1853,132,100. 
The translation of the State Motto is — He who 
brought us hither, still preserves. 
Tue number of air cells in the human lungs 
amounts to no less than six hundred millions.— 
According to Dr. Hales, the diameter of each of 
these may be reckoned at the one hundredth of an 
inch; while, according to th 
Familiarity with the Bible. —He who is so 
familiar with the Bible that each chapter, open 
where he will, teems with household words, may 
draw thence the themes of many a pleasant and 
pathetic song. For is not all human nature shad¬ 
owed forth in those pages? But the soul, to sing 
well from the Bible, must be imbued with dewand 
sunshine. The study of the book must have begun 
in the simplicity of childhood, when it was felt to 
be divine, aud carried on through all those silent 
intervales in which the soul of manhood is restored, 
during the din of life to the purity and peace of 
its early being. He who begins the study of the 
Bible late in life must indeed devote himself to it 
night and day, with an humble and contrite neait 
as well as with an awakened and soaring spirit, ere 
he can hope to feel what he understands, or to un¬ 
derstand what he feels—thoughts and feelings 
breathing in upon him like spiritual sounds and 
scents, as if from a region hanging in its mystery 
between heaven and earth. 
more recent re¬ 
searches of Prof. Weber, the diameters vary be¬ 
tween the seventieth and the two hundredth of an 
inch. Now, estimating the internal surface of a 
single cell as about equal to that of a hollow glob¬ 
ule of equal internal diameter, then, by adopting 
the measurement of Hales, we find that six hun¬ 
dred millions such cells would possess collectively 
a surface of no less than one hundred and forty- 
five square yards; but by basing our calculations 
on the opinions, remember, which the scientific 
world receives as facts, we arrive at the still more 
astounding conclusion, that the human lungs pos¬ 
sess upwards of one hundred and sixty-six square 
yards of respiratory surface, every single point of 
which is in constant and immediate contact with 
the atmosphere inspired. U will be useful, then, 
to imprint on the memory that, whether we breathe 
pure or putrid air, the air inspired is ever in im¬ 
mediate contact with an extent of vital surface 
ample enough for the erection of two or three 
large houses. 
OUR WINTER SCHOOLS, 
Again have our winter schools been organized, 
and many thousands of children are daily wend¬ 
ing their way to the many hundred school houses 
on bill side and in valley, in various parts of our 
good old State, 
But whether these schools shall 
bo for the good or ill of our youth, will depend 
very much upon the feeling and efforts of parents 
and teachers. The mere organization and support 
of a school do not positively Indicate progress and 
improvement. Wo wish it were so. But, it is 
doubtless true, that some school houses will be 
opened daily and be occupied by teachers and 
pupils with uo good results. In order that a school 
may produce the good it ought, it is essential that 
parents and tcaehers should both know and do 
their duty. We have not time to specify the va¬ 
rious duties of parents, and propose only to offer 
a few hints'to teachers. 
1 . He interested in your tcork. 
Bo think, and speak, and aet, that your pupils 
will see that your whole heart is in your work, 
aud that yon desire nothing so much os their im¬ 
provement, morally, intellectually, physically.— 
Strive constantly aud earnestly to inspire them 
with the right spirit, and lead them to labor dili¬ 
gently lor their own advancement. 
2. He punctual in your arrival at the school room. 
It would seem hardly necessary to speak of this, 
but it is true that some teachers are quite culpable 
in regard to their attendance at school. They 
seem to go reluctantly, and by their late arrival at, 
the scene of their labors, they teach in the most 
Safety in Suffering. —But believe us, remem¬ 
ber, there may be true grace where there is uo com¬ 
fort; there maybe saving faith without assurance. 
A mau may be in a pardoned state, though in a 
troubled state. Your sins can never be triumphant, 
your graces can never decay, your soul can never 
be lost, your God and you can never be / separated. 
The devil could as soon pluck Christ out of heav¬ 
en as out of a believer’s heart. He sits as fast 
upon his throne here as there. The devil could 
not enter into the herd without Christ's leave, aud 
will He let him carry His lambs ?—Remains of Rev. 
J. M. Mason. 
CONSUMPTION, 
A writer in the British and Foreign Medico- 
Chirurgical Review, who has made upward of 3,000 
observations with reference to respiration and pul¬ 
sation in consumption, draws the following infer¬ 
ence, among others:—“That the sitting and stand¬ 
ing postures in consumption call for more expen¬ 
diture of power, and tend to produce more 
suqsequent exhaustion than in health, and the 
lying posture would save the strength. The effect 
upon respiration is much loss, and especially in the 
standing posture. Hence the latter practice tends 
further to exhaust the system by increasing the 
blood motion, and also the entrance of air into the 
system. High temperature, with the accompani¬ 
ment of dry air, also tends to rapid exhaustion by 
greatly increasing the blood moiion and lessening 
the introduction of air; and, on tbe contrary, low 
temperature and moisture increase serificatlon of 
the blood and lessen the rapidity o{ the blood cur¬ 
rent. Hence, iu consumption, a moderately cool 
and moist air is the most conducive to health, and 
tbe hot summer season must necessarily induce 
exhaustion.” 
A College in Kansas. —A meeting has been 
held at Lawrence, Kansas Territory, to memorialize 
Congress to grant a tract of land for the establish¬ 
ment of a college in the territory. 
The following gentlemen were appointed a com¬ 
mittee to memorialize Congress:—Messrs. Xrny, 
Robinson, Branscombc, Hunt, Fowler, and Brown. 
It was stated that Governor Geary would write a 
letter to accompany the memorial. 
The following gentlemen were nominated and 
elected trustees of the college:—Messrs. Bacon,of 
Connecticut; Aiuoh Lawrence, of Boston, and Mr. 
Amy, of Illinois. In the territory—Gov, Geary, 
Cbtis. Robinson, W, Z. Roberts, the Rev. Mr. Nate, 
and the ll<-v. Mr. Lurn, Messrs. Parrot, of Leaven¬ 
worth; Gooilt-now, of Manhattan; Thornton, of 
Topeka; Pomeroy, of Ossawatomie; and Wake¬ 
field, of Bloomington. The Board of Trustees are 
to fill the two vacancies for the state. 
In Australia there is a beetle which has the pe¬ 
culiarly formed legs of the kangaroo, and appears 
to be half kangaroo (on a small scale) and half 
part insect. It is a grotesque creature aud from 
its appearance has received the name of “ Kanga¬ 
roo Beetle.” 
In tbe same country there is also a bird ( Menura 
superba) which has a tail resembling the ancient 
Greek lyTe. Tbe margin of the lyre is formed by 
two broad feathers on each side, which curve into 
scrolls at tbe upper end, while a number of deli¬ 
cate ones represent the wires in the middle. These 
birds are hunted for their tails, which form an ob¬ 
ject of curiosity aud beauty in museums. 
Iu the zoological kingdom there is a carious va¬ 
riety of shell called “ llarpn,” from the bars with 
which it is marked having the resemblance of a 
harp. There is another shell called the “Bulina,” 
which resembles a rose-bud, and another which 
resembles a srawberry. 
LIFE. 
Life! we’ve been long together, 
Through pleasant and through cloudy weather; 
'Tis hard to part when friends are dear, 
Perhaps 'twill cost a sigh or fear ; 
Then steal away, give little warning, 
Choose tbineown lime. 
Say not good night, but lu some brighter clime 
Bid me good morniug 1 ( Mrs. BarbauLL 
They who are the most weary of life, and yet 
the most unwilling to die, are such who have lived 
to no purpose, who have rather breathed than 
lived.— Clarendon. 
Prompt Obedience to all the rules of the school 
should be required of the pupiL 
